[Armour]

It's not even just about being able to pass that test. The level of substance that was taught then far exceeds what 8th graders are learning today. I know people with university degrees that still don't understand the difference between possessives and contractions (namely: your/you're). I don't know how they ever earned their English credits. Also, I don't think students are even held back a year anymore if their marks are insufficient. Speaking of Grade 8; I failed half my subjects that year (because I rarely did my assignments/homework, and instead spent too much time watching cartoons), yet, I somehow graduated, undeservedly. Anyway, I'm not particularly interested in carrying on this conversation. Let's discuss the development.

 

[the lemur]

The level of substance that was taught then far exceeds what 8th graders are learning today

I don't think that's objectively measurable, 'level of substance'.

People being unable to use possessives and contractions properly has been a thing for a long, long time. Some people just never grasp it, others aren't taught properly. It was always thus. It's also not a marker of intelligence per se.

As for the trend of former churches being converted, I would say it's because churches are becoming less sustainable (in various senses). There's also a not-so-new trend of newer places of worship being located in commercial/industrial areas, for tax reasons.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

It's not even just about being able to pass that test. The level of substance that was taught then far exceeds what 8th graders are learning today. I know people with university degrees that still don't understand the difference between possessives and contractions (namely: your/you're). I don't know how they ever earned their English credits. Also, I don't think students are even held back a year anymore if their marks are insufficient. Speaking of Grade 8; I failed half my subjects that year (because I rarely did my assignments/homework, and instead spent too much time watching cartoons), yet, I somehow graduated, undeservedly. Anyway, I'm not particularly interested in carrying on this conversation. Let's discuss the development.

Oh, stop. You were wrong, you were Snoped, you can apologize when you wish.

As for churches being some kind of 'consecrated ground' we should preserve until the rest of us come back to your God: don't hold your breath. Glad to see a re-use of beautiful buildings.

 

[tiffer24]

^Can I get an amen.

 

[Armour]

Oh, stop. You were wrong, you were Snoped, you can apologize when you wish.

As for churches being some kind of 'consecrated ground' we should preserve until the rest of us come back to your God: don't hold your breath. Glad to see a re-use of beautiful buildings.

Apologize for what? The point in showing that test was to demonstrate the difference in caliber (vs. what is learned today) and the expectations that students were to meet then compared to now (the complexity of the subject matter/questions they had to answer).

 

[wild goose chase]

As for churches being some kind of 'consecrated ground' we should preserve until the rest of us come back to your God: don't hold your breath. Glad to see a re-use of beautiful buildings.

I'm sure in history and all across the world, there have been lots of places that used to be churches or other places of worship that no longer are there. Old ones went and new ones came.

 

[the lemur]

Apologize for what? The point in showing that test was to demonstrate the difference in caliber (vs. what is learned today) and the expectations that students were to meet then compared to now (the complexity of the subject matter/questions they had to answer).

You haven't even defined 'calibre' and as for the expectations/complexity: it was designed more to fail students than anything else (so that they wouldn't pursue further education) and the questions were based in part on knowledge/assumptions that we now know in the modern world to be faulty and/or outdated.

 

[the lemur]

I'm sure in history and all across the world, there have been lots of places that used to be churches or other places of worship that no longer are there. Old ones went and new ones came.

Greek and Roman buildings are used for other purposes than they were at the time they were built. That doesn't necessarily invalidate some of the values they originally represented (government, philosophy, science).

 

[M.R.Victor]

The irony inherent in Armour's post is that the texts on which the various religions are based are obvious compilations of disparate works, occurring centuries after the time of the initial writings and in which the original events supposedly took place. The church as an institution and the faith as a practice have obviously evolved over the centuries.

It's just normal to get limited traction out of bronze-age documents. It is the process the adaptation and re-interpretation that has kept these texts relevant for so long in the first place.

Now back to the churches, perhaps some adaptive re-use aside from condos would be better. I personally recommend apple stores with a huge photo of Steve Jobs behind the altar. Now that would be something. Or maybe showcase rooms for Zuckerberg's Oculus.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Annnnnnnd another thread lost to the worship of Steve Jobs and the Apple store...

 

[Skeezix]

St. Mike's Cathedral is under renovations. And Apple reportedly needs a larger store downtown. I'm pretty positive that Apple will be leasing St. Mike's and opening Canada's largest Apple store. All the evidence points to it.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Now back to the churches, perhaps some adaptive re-use aside from condos would be better.

Two great re-uses I've seen: The Vanier charity L'Arche uses a renovated church here on Floyd at Pape. And using the acoustics/space for music shows, etc. has worked great here and elsewhere: The event space at Moss Park on Queen; L'Abbe Silvacane in Provence, for two examples.

 

[animatronic]

St. Mike's Cathedral is under renovations. And Apple reportedly needs a larger store downtown. I'm pretty positive that Apple will be leasing St. Mike's and opening Canada's largest Apple store. All the evidence points to it.

With a Jamba Juice and a Starbucks in the transcepts

 

[W. K. Lis]

St. Mike's Cathedral is under renovations. And Apple reportedly needs a larger store downtown. I'm pretty positive that Apple will be leasing St. Mike's and opening Canada's largest Apple store. All the evidence points to it.

And a courtroom to hear (and record) your confessions.

 

[Johnny Au]

Toronto already has a gigantic cathedral: the Rogers Centre.

Sports are a religion to many people these days. They have huge paying crowds, loyal fanaticism, superstitions, tradition, and yes, rivalries and dogmatism. Yet, sports are ever-evolving. FIFA and the IOC are to sports as the Holy See is to Catholicism or Mecca is to Islam.

The Cult of Steve Jobs is becoming a major religion as well (despite him being Buddhist). The downtown shrine of Steve Jobs is a fire hazard and needs to be enlarged.

The same can be said for Zuckerberg (despite being an atheist). George Orwell correctly predicted the rise of Big Brother in 1984 (and it happens that Zuckerberg was born on that year).